Egbert geeen hunter



(No Model.)

R. G; HUNTER.

POCKET KNIFE.

No. 333,466. v Patented Dec; 29, 1885.

INVENTOR wm BY JMWW@ ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ROBERT GREEN HUNTER, OF PALATKA, FLORIDA.

POCKET-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,466, dated December 29, 1885.

Application filed July 28, 1885. Serial No. 172,869. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT GREEN HUN- TER. of Palatka, in the county of Putnam and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Removable Blades for Pocket-Knives, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to the construction of pocket-knives; and it consists in a certain novel form of slotin the heel of the blade, and in other details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a view of the open knife, aportion of the handle being cut away to disclose the construction of the heel of the blade. Fig. 2 is a View of the knife halfclosed, the handle being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a view of a fork arranged to be applied to the handle; and Fig. 4. is a View of a partiallyopened knife, the handle being cut away at one end.

The haft or handle A of my improved form of knife is substantially the same as the ordinary pocket-knife handle, except that one or both of the side pieces, a a, are formed with short transverse slots 0 c, that extend above the back spring, B, at a point near the end of such spring, as best shown in Fig. 4. The pivots b b, by which the blades 0 are connected to thehandle A,.are permanently fixed in position prior to the insertion of the blades. The heel e of the blade 0 is formed with the usual shoulder, f, that abuts against the end of the spring B when the knife is open; but instead of having the ordinary aperture for the reception of the pivot b, in the heel is formed a curved slot, 9, which extends from the back edge of the said heel inward and rearward to a point where the usual pivothole is located, so that the projection t is formed. The inner end of this projection forms a slight shoulder in front of the base of the slot. By thus forming the projection the pivot b is so inclosed that when the blade is folded within the handle all longitudinal movement thereof is impossible. In prior constructions the mouth of the slot has been on the front edge of the heel, and the projection formed by the angular or curved slot has had no shoulder, as in my construction.

These are the essential points ofdifference. When folded, my blade can never slip out of the handle, no matter how loose the parts may become on account of wear at the pivotal point, for the reason that the slot opens at the back of the heel. In the constructions referred to the blades would drop out easily after the parts had become loose by wear at the pivotal point. The blade is inserted by depressing the spring B by means of a pin or other convenient implement that is inserted in one of the slots 0, and brought to bear upon the upper side of the spring, so as to force said spring down and out of its normal position; and while the spring is so held the blade is placed so that the pivot b will enter the slot 9 and rest beneath the projection t, when the spring is at once released.

A knife constructed as described may be opened and shut, and the blade will be held in a steady firm position, however it may be placed, and a single handle may be used for any number of blades of various shapes and sizes.

Beside knifeedged blades, other tools and implementssuch as forks, screw drivers, keys, &c.may be inserted in the handle.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A blade for knives having ashoulder formed at the juncture of the back of the blade with the heel, and an open slot leading from the back edge of the heel inward and rearward to the usual pivotal point, substantially as set forth.

2. The blade 0, having the shoulder f, the curved 'slot 9, extending from the back edge of the heel inward and rearward to the usual pivotal point, and the projection t, terminating in a shoulder in front of the base of the slot, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the handle A, having the usual fixed back spring and pivot, and a slot or slots in the side or sides of the handle extending from the back edge of the handle to a point inside of the handle beyond the back spring, of the removable blade having a curved slot in its heel, substantially as set forth.

ROBERT GREEN HUNTER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE J. ZEHNBUN, Jr. '1. S. HAUGHTON. 

